338 
THE CULTIVATOR 
do justice to the county. New Scotland 1 and. Bethlehem, 
each, sent ten yokes- of working oxen, which it would 
have been difficult tp beat. ^ . 
The show- of Poultry was large, and, with the ex¬ 
ception of the display made by the State Poultry So¬ 
ciety, was the best we have ever seen.. The Shanghais 
predominated in point of numbers, but there was no 
lack of specimens of all the choice varieties. 
Horticultural Department. —A choice profusion 
ol Fruit, Flowers and Vegetables filled the spacious 
hall set apart to the purpose. The past season has not 
been favorable to the production-of large fruit, but the 
quality exhibited'was very superior. There were 93 
exhibitors in this department, and it would be-impossi- 
ble to do. justice to. them ayithout particularizing each 
one. G. W. Luther exhibited clusters of grapes grown 
under glass which reminded one of the pictures of those 
which were brought by the spies from the promised 
land, and those shown by C. P. Williams were scarcety 
less heavy and finely colored. 'For grapes grown in the 
open air, John S. Goold bore off the palm. A large 
display of plums was made by E. Dorr, J. S-. Goold 
and others, embracing many fine specimens and rare 
varieties. The Premium for the best collection of ap¬ 
ples was taken by E. A. Fitch of New Scotland, and 
for the greatest variety of pears by E. Corning Jr. 
For the best White Doyenne and Seckel Pears, John S. 
Goold received the premium. The best collection of 
Peaches was shown by H. E. Robbins of Westerlo. 
In the Vegetable Department, the show was exten¬ 
sive and supexior, more so than usual. There was 
competition for almost all the premiums offered. 
The Hall devoted to Household Manufactures was 
well filled. Evidences were multiplied that our far¬ 
mer’s wives and daughters have not forsaken the dis¬ 
taff and loom for more fashionable employments. 
Plain brown linen as fine as our grandmothers wove, 
and thread as evenly spun, along side of the embroide¬ 
ry and the crotchet work testified that the useful and 
the ornamental are not antagonistic. Kersey-blankets 
and rag-carpets did not blush in comparison with the 
pictures elaborated with the needle, the wax flowers, 
and the curiously wrought designs in leather. The la¬ 
dies of the county did themselves great credit in the 
display of the productions of their skill, and yet they 
say they can do infinitely better another year. 
A building 100 feet by 86 was crowded with manu¬ 
factured articles of every description. On a raised 
platform in the center stood eight splendid Pianos. 
Boardman and Gray, Barhydt and Morange and H. 
Meacham of this city exhibited instruments of their 
own manufacture. Messrs. Mayer & Collier showed 
Chickering’s piano, and a piano of a new. form, said to 
possess many advantages over the, square instruments, 
manufactured also by the Chickerings at Boston. 
Boardman and Gray received the first premium for 
Pianos made in the county, and Barhydt & Morange, 
the second. 
Some half-dozen sewing machines in operation ex¬ 
cited a deal of curiosity. They seamed as busy as a 
bee, and diet not grow weary of. their work. These 
machines are coming into quite extensive use, and are 
said to-give satisfaction. ^ 
We have not space to speak of the. many beautiful 
cases of Silver Ware, ornamental, articles, Daguerreo¬ 
types,and specimens of binding which, adorncd the Hall, 
or of the Carriages, Wagons and. Sleighs which, stood 
outside, or of the great variety of Agricultural Imple¬ 
ments exhibited by R. H. Pease of this city and others. 
The grounds were covered with objects of interest,and 
the erowds that thronged them were delighted and sur¬ 
prised with the beauty and variety which met the eye 
on every hand. The everage attendance on Wednesday 
and Thursday did not fall short of 15,000 persons, and 
the amount of money received will exceed. §3000,. 
The balance-on hand after paying premiums and ex¬ 
penses, will enable the society to offer a larger amount 
of premiums another year, and ensure its permanence 
and an increasing usefulness. 
The address was delivered Thursday by S-. B. Wool- 
worth, L. L. D. of the State Normal School. It was 
an excellent and timely production, stimulating fhrrn- 
ers to think as well as work, and setting forth the- ad¬ 
vantages of an intelligent culture of the soil, and the 
importance of employing all the facilities of the day 
for improvement. 
After the award of premiums, four ladies competed 
for the Prises offered for Equestrianship. The ladies 
rode well, and the assembled multitude gazed with 
the most intense interest. Everything was done de¬ 
cently and in order, and at the close of the riding, 
Gen. Viele of Troy, the Chairman of the Committee 
of Judges, addressed the ladies in complimentary 
terms, which drew forth rousing cheers from his audi 
tory. This over, the thousands dispersed quietly to 
their homes, and thus ended the Second Annual Fair 
of one of the most prosperous and promising agricul¬ 
tural societies in the State. 
Black Knot on Plum Trees. 
Messrs. Editors —Facts are everywhere admitted 
to be better than theories ; and observation is the fruit- 
ul mother of the former, while speculative-animus of¬ 
ten creates the latter. 
Wm. Smith, Esq., of Ballston Center, a gentleman 
of close observation and of much practical skill, in¬ 
forms me that a year ago all his plum trees were bad¬ 
ly affected with the black knot, except one, growing 
with the rest and having the same general treatment. 
In looking about for a specific cause, he found this par¬ 
ticular difference j at the base of the unaffected, tree 
was a large tomato vine. Making note of the fact, 
this year'he removed all the diseased, branches from 
his trees, and around a portion of them, set out the to¬ 
mato plant, leaving part uncared for. Now mark the 
result. Those with the tomato at the roots, have no 
knot whatever , while those not treated in this way, 
were full of black bunches, the same as last year. 
Mr. Smith offers no analytical explanation, but sim¬ 
ply gives the public these facts. F. D. C. Charlton. 
